NCCD levels of adjustment, explained with examples

The four NCCD levels of adjustment at a glance

Each level is defined by the support the student receives, as the Quick Guide describes it. The question is not "What condition does the student have?" but "What adjustments does the student need to take part in education on the same basis as other students?", the test in the Disability Standards for Education 2005.

The level should match the adjustments actually provided in the 12 months before Census Day, not the label in a student's file or the effort staff feel they have put in.

1. Quality differentiated teaching practice (QDTP)

QDTP covers minor adjustments that are reasonably expected as part of quality teaching or school practice. The student works in the ordinary class program, and the teacher adjusts within it, using the strategies and resources already available to every student.

QDTP is a real NCCD level: a student at QDTP is counted on the same criteria as at any other level, including a disability under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and at least 10 weeks of adjustments. It is recorded in the collection but attracts no loading. Read what QDTP means for the full definition and six examples beside Supplementary.

• A student whose disability affects decoding gets extra modelling, simplified written instructions and regular check-ins during reading.
• A student who finds it hard to sustain attention sits near the teacher and gets brief, quiet prompts to restart a task.
• A student who becomes anxious at changes to routine is told about changes in advance and can use a quiet space in the room.

2. Supplementary adjustments

Supplementary adjustments are added to the strategies and resources already available for all students in the school, for particular activities at specific times through the week. The student still gets QDTP; Supplementary sits on top of it.

Supplementary fits when support is targeted and planned, but not needed for most of the day. It does not mean all-day support.

• A student who struggles with social interaction joins a small-group social skills program once a week and uses a visual schedule for the day.
• A student who has trouble hearing class discussion uses a remote microphone system, with aide support in group work twice a week.
• A student who cannot sustain attention through long tasks has planned movement breaks, and extra time and a separate room for tests.

3. Substantial adjustments

Substantial adjustments are for students with substantial support needs: essential adjustments and considerable adult assistance to the usual program, at most times, on most days.

Substantial fits when the adjustments are ongoing, significant and needed in most learning contexts.

• A student whose disability affects learning across subjects works on modified programs in most learning areas, with daily support from a learning support teacher or aide.
• A student who is easily overwhelmed by sensory input needs frequent regulation breaks, modified instructions and close supervision at transitions, most days.
• A student with limited mobility needs regular help to move between spaces, specialised equipment and adapted tasks in most lessons.

4. Extensive adjustments

Extensive adjustments are for students with very high support needs: extensive targeted measures and sustained, intensive support at all times.

Extensive is also the one level where the 10 weeks must be consecutive, with the adjustments in place at all times. The NCCD Extensive level covers the continuity test and what the 2026 Guidelines clarified.

• A student who needs help with mobility and personal care has one-to-one support for movement, personal care and taking part in lessons throughout the day.
• A student whose disability profoundly affects learning follows a highly individualised program, with constant adult assistance and specialised equipment.
• A student who communicates with an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device needs sustained support to communicate in every setting.

What each level looks like across the school day

The Quick Guide asks schools to assess the functional impact of a disability in five areas: teaching and learning, communication, participation, personal care and movement. The same kind of support can sit at different levels, depending on how often it happens, how intensive it is and how much of the program it covers.

Read across a row to see how support grows through the levels. A student's level is set on all of their adjustments together, not on one row.

These are typical patterns to help a team think, not official descriptors. For the full list, see examples of NCCD adjustments, grouped by functional area with the log entry for each.

QDTP or Supplementary?

The line between the two lowest levels is whether support is still part of routine teaching, or has been added on top of it for particular activities at specific times. A word bank on the desk in every lesson is usually QDTP; a small-group reading program three mornings a week is usually Supplementary. For the whole call, use the five-step test for QDTP or Supplementary, with six examples side by side.

Supplementary or Substantial?

The line is how much of the week the adjustments cover. Supplementary adjustments happen at specific times, for particular activities: a reading group three mornings a week, extra time in tests, an aide for practical science. Substantial adjustments happen at most times, on most days: a modified program in most learning areas, planned help at transitions and breaks, and considerable adult assistance.

Two questions settle most cases. On an ordinary day, is the student adjusted for in most lessons, or only some? Is the program changed across most learning areas, or only for particular tasks? If the answers are some lessons and particular tasks, Supplementary is usually the fit.

The evidence that separates them is a plan or timetable showing where the support sits in the week, with entries spread across most days rather than clustered in one subject. The loading more than triples across this line (in 2026 the full loading for a primary student is $6,076 at Supplementary and $21,122 at Substantial, of which the Commonwealth funds a share; see the funding table below), so borderline calls are worth taking to NCCD moderation with the evidence on the table.

Substantial or Extensive?

The line between the two is about time and continuity, not effort or cost. Substantial support is considerable and happens at most times, on most days. Extensive support is intensive and sustained, in place at all times, over consecutive weeks.

If support is heavy but only happens at some times or in some settings, Substantial is usually the better fit. That does not make the student's needs less serious; it keeps the record aligned with the descriptor. The NCCD Extensive level covers the continuity test in detail.

Choosing the level: frequency, intensity and range

Selecting the level is a professional judgement by the school team, made from evidence of the adjustments the student actually received. The Quick Guide suggests weighing four things:

• Frequency: Are the adjustments occasional, periodic or every day?
• Intensity: Are they needed for part of the day, or the whole day?
• Range: Do they cover some activities and learning areas, or all of them?
• Evidence: What does the record show about the adjustments, over at least 10 weeks?

Two more questions help at the higher levels: how much adult assistance the adjustments take, and how far the student's program differs from the one other students follow.

The evidence needs to cover the four areas of NCCD evidence: the assessed need, consultation, the adjustments over at least 10 weeks, and monitoring. Activities funded through the NDIS are not eligible for inclusion in the NCCD, so count only the school's own adjustments. If your school uses MTSS tiers, MTSS and the NCCD levels shows how the tiers relate to the four levels.

The highest-level rule

Where a student received different levels in the 12 months before Census Day, the school reports the highest level provided for the minimum 10 weeks. Levels are reviewed every year, not assumed to have stayed at last year's level.

A worked example. Sam had Supplementary adjustments through Terms 3 and 4 last year and Term 1 this year. From the start of Term 2 his support moved to Substantial and stayed there. By Census Day the school has about 13 weeks of evidence at Substantial, so it reports Substantial: the highest level provided for at least 10 weeks. Had the Substantial support started four weeks before Census Day, the school would report Supplementary. Next year the level is decided again, from next year's evidence.

Level and category are different questions

The category of disability (physical, cognitive, sensory or social/emotional) is the area that is the main driver of the adjustments, not the diagnosis, and it can change over time. The level is how much the school adjusts. Two students in the same category can sit at different levels, and two students at the same level can be in different categories. See NCCD categories of disability for how to choose one.

Neither needs a diagnosis. Where there is no diagnostic report, the school team can judge that a disability exists on reasonable grounds and evidence, after consulting the student or their associate. From 2026 the team first confirms the adjustments are due to disability, not academic performance, learning difficulties or external factors. See imputed disability.

NCCD funding by level: the 2026 loading

NCCD data is used to calculate the student with disability loading. QDTP is recorded but attracts none. Supplementary, Substantial and Extensive each attract a loading per student, on top of the base amount ($14,467 primary and $18,180 secondary in 2026). The level must follow the evidence, never the funding.

The table shows the full 2026 amounts used to calculate a school's Schooling Resource Standard (SRS), not what the Commonwealth pays per student. The Commonwealth funds a share, and systems distribute funding through their own models.

Source: Department of Education, Schooling Resource Standard: final 2026 student with disability loading by NCCD level of adjustment.

Common mistakes when choosing a level

Watch for these when deciding which level to report.

Evidence for each level

Schools are not required to create new evidence for the NCCD: evidence is sighted in the form it already exists, such as an individual learning plan, timetables showing adjustments, emails showing consultation with families, team notes showing monitoring and review, or a functional needs checklist. What the record must do is justify the level. For what separates an entry that holds up from one that does not, see NCCD evidence examples.

For the documents a reviewer sights, see NCCD evidence requirements.

How we checked this guide

The level descriptions paraphrase the NCCD Guidelines: Effective 2026 Onward and the NCCD Quick Guide (2026 edition, Education Services Australia for the Australian Government Department of Education), which summarises the Guidelines and does not replace them. The highest-level rule, the 10 weeks, the functional areas and the frequency, intensity and range test come from the same two sources. The funding amounts are the final 2026 student with disability loading from the Department of Education's Schooling Resource Standard page.

The examples, the school-day table and the log entries are ours: typical patterns, not official descriptors. The level for a real student rests on the school team's evidence and professional judgement. If the Guidelines or the loading change, we update this page and the date at the top.